[CaptainPanic]

There's no fun in being "the best of the rest". Why can't we vote for staff and resident experts?

[Klaynos]

CaptainPanic, on 19 October 2011 - 10:01 AM, said:

There's no fun in being "the best of the rest". Why can't we vote for staff and resident experts?

Because then phi would win everything, clearly.

[CaptainPanic]

Klaynos, on 19 October 2011 - 10:04 AM, said:

Because then phi would win everything, clearly.

So? If Phi is the best, let's give all the prizes to Phi. I'm serious, why can't the best win?

[StringJunky]

CaptainPanic, on 19 October 2011 - 10:50 AM, said:

So? If Phi is the best, let's give all the prizes to Phi. I'm serious, why can't the best win?

I concur, Mods and Experts are all members and I don't think an unfair advantage is conferred upon them in a poll because they are so...at the end of the day, we have ordinary members that are every bit as knowledgeable and expert as the staff. It's just that the staff are the nominated referees but they work at it just like the rest of us and exceptional <insert quality> should be recognised regardless of forum status. Let it be a level playing-field for everyone is my opinion.

This post has been edited by StringJunky: 19 October 2011 - 11:41 AM

[CaptainPanic]

StringJunky, on 19 October 2011 - 11:27 AM, said:

It's just that the staff are the nominated referees [...]

This is a good point. Staff voting, staff receiving votes, and staff playing the referee may seem like a conflict of interests... but I trust them enough to ask them to fully participate.

But regardless of that previous remark, I cannot understand why we (the plebs) shouldn't be allowed to vote for them - there can be no conflict of interests.

[StringJunky]

CaptainPanic, on 19 October 2011 - 11:41 AM, said:

This is a good point. Staff voting, staff receiving votes, and staff playing the referee may seem like a conflict of interests... but I trust them enough to ask them to fully participate.

Given the nature our mutual interest, which is science, I think there is enough inherent oversight that if there was any scent of foul play by a member of staff, the other mods and indeed members would soon weed them out...it's a non-issue. The votes are on public display to be counted by anyone anyway. Regardless of what I've just said, which was an attempt at looking at it objectively, my personal experience here is the mods are all good sports and collectively strive to engage in fair play.

I trust them too.

[CaptainPanic]

StringJunky, on 19 October 2011 - 12:21 PM, said:

[...]if there was any scent of foul play by a member of staff, the other mods and indeed members would soon weed them out...it's a non-issue. [...]

Although it is obvious that we shall complain bitterly if a staff or resident expert wins, and we shall claim foul play. But only afterwards.

[/joke]

I'm really sorry to hijack this thread. I'll shut up now.

[Phi for All]

Many newcomers expect Moderators to be heavy-handed, power-hungry egotists who judge based on what they like or dislike. We've worked pretty hard to keep that out of our staff ranks. I think it's best we stay out of this kind of competition.

If I won, I would be impossible to live with. Look what I've already done, paying Klaynos to say nice things about me! And I drew a mustache on mooeypoo's profile picture. Despicable!

One of the criteria for Staff positions that was set up by blike in the beginning was that no one who asked for Mod status would be given that status, to avoid having people who crave it. Indeed, the Admins had to beg swansont for years to be a Mod (I, being such a great person, didn't force the Admins to sink that low; I said yes the minute blike asked me). Resident Experts are chosen the same way, on merit alone, after consensus vote by Mods and Admins. I don't know how Admins are chosen; you'd have to ask blike. He's currently sailing to Bermuda on the yacht Cap'n Refsmmat bought for him.

Why don't we compromise? You can vote for a member in any category and also put a Staff member (in parentheses) for that same category if you feel they deserve it. We'll tally them separately. Seriously, we don't want Staff winning this recognition. That much prestige would blind our objectivity.

[imatfaal]

Phi for All, on 19 October 2011 - 02:58 PM, said:

Many newcomers expect Moderators to be heavy-handed, power-hungry egotists who judge based on what they like or dislike.

[only_joking]

and after a year or so they realise that their first thoughts were proved to be factually correct

[/only_joking]

in reality I cannot speak highly enough of the mods - well probably not highly enough to avoid an immediate ban for the above

This post has been edited by imatfaal: 19 October 2011 - 04:36 PM

[Phi for All]

imatfaal, on 19 October 2011 - 04:34 PM, said:

in reality I cannot speak highly enough of the mods - well probably not highly enough to avoid an immediate ban for the above

This is EXACTLY what I mean by saying people expect a Mod to be unfairly heavy-handed and power-hungry. The above certainly does NOT warrant an immediate ban. Two, maybe three weeks suspension, tops. If you say you're sorry and buy me something nice. You decide how sorry you are (you should at least be iPad sorry; if you're iPad2 64gig 3G Wi-Fi sorry, I can trim this down to a 3 day suspension with no adjustment to your warning status. Act now, supplies are limited!).

[mooeypoo]

The idea also is to prevent the feeling that people have to "suck up" to the staff to get on our good side. Also, moderators and experts were chosen because, supposedly, they already demonstrated some friendliness and expertise, so the idea is to see who *else* is out there that demonstrates such things.


But it might be a good idea to have a separate category where you can put whoever (mods/experts/famous trolls, go wild).
I already know I'm awesome, if you want to repeat it, who am I to stop you.











<3 you all



~mooey

Phi for All, on 19 October 2011 - 04:54 PM, said:

This is EXACTLY what I mean by saying people expect a Mod to be unfairly heavy-handed and power-hungry. The above certainly does NOT warrant an immediate ban. Two, maybe three weeks suspension, tops. If you say you're sorry and buy me something nice. You decide how sorry you are (you should at least be iPad sorry; if you're iPad2 64gig 3G Wi-Fi sorry, I can trim this down to a 3 day suspension with no adjustment to your warning status. Act now, supplies are limited!).

You forgot the flogging. There should always be a flogging.

[Phi for All]

mooeypoo, on 19 October 2011 - 06:08 PM, said:

You forgot the flogging. There should always be a flogging.

Any excuse to wear the leather.